Teeritory



(No Model.)

E. A. WALL.

ORE SEPARATOR.

No. 368,033. Patented Aug. 9,1887.

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/, o/W @d UNITED STATES PATENT Cilrricno Enos A. WALL, or sALT LAKR orrY, UTM-r TERRITORY.

ORE-SEPARATOR.

SPECIFICATION forming part of Letters Patent No, 368,033, dated August 9, 1887A.

Application filed January 6, 1887. Serial No. 223,527.

To @ZZ whom, 1i-may concern:

Be it known that I, ENOS A. WALL, a citizen of the United States, residing at Salt Lake City, in the county of Salt Lake and Territory of Utah, have invented certain new and useful Improvements in Ore-Separators, of which the following is a full and clear description, reference being had to the accompanying drawings, forming part of this specification, in which- Figure l represents a perspective view of a separator embodying myimprovements. Fig. 2 is a longitudinal vertical sectional view of the same.

My invention relates to hydraulic sluice separators; and it consists in the peculiar constructions and combinations of parts, which I shall hereinafter fully describe and claim.

To enable others skilled in the art to which my invention appertains to make and use the same, I will new describe its construction and indicate the manner in which the same is carried out.

The object of this invention is to treat the finer particles or slimes of ores containing valuable minerals resulting from the washings or separating of the coarser products, which are not as well adapted to treatment by a-vaningjig, such as is illustrated and described in my application, Serial No. 216,612, filed October 19, 1886.

In the said drawings, A represents an inclosed rectangular sluice-trough having the two upwardly-diverging conduits B and U, the former receiving the water containing the mineral slimcs, and the latter having a discharge at D for the waste'material.

At the juncture of the arms B and C is a receptacle, E, which extends transversely across the machine and has its upper portion in communication with the lower end of the arms B and C, as shown in Fig. 2. The bottoni or floor of the reservoir E is grooved or V-shaped to receive the dressed minerahwhieh is afterward drawn from said bottom through a faucet-gate, such as F, let into the bottom of said receptacle.. A

In the bottom of the sluice or arm B is placed an adjustable wooden or metal plate, G, which closely fits the interior of said sluice or arm, extends downwardly into the upper portion of the receptacle, and has its end b curved or (No model.)

bent upwardly, as shown, so as to form a space between itself and the top of the receptacle, and closes 'the mouth of the same, with the exception of a narrowv throat, a, formed between the end of said plate G and an adjacent plate, H, as shown in Fig. 2.

The size of the throat a may beincreased or diminished by means of an adjustable plate, I-I, -which is fitted in guides or grooves b in the sides of the arm or sluice C. *This plate or gate I-I also raises or lowers the point of overflow and controls the force of the current flowing through the machine.

Immediately beneath the plate G, and passing transversely through the receptacle E, is a small pipe, I, having in one side a narrow slotted opening extending the entire length of the throat and parallel therewith. This pipe I is located so as to throw a thin sheet or spray of water oblique] y upward through the throat a and in the direction of the discharge at D, so that any particles ofmineral passing through the machine must pass through this sheet of water before entering the receptacle E. The force of the water introduced through the pipe I being under full control by means of a common gage cock, it will be readily seen that particles of mineral of any given weight may be allowed to pass through the t-hroat into the receptacle or be driven out through the wastegate at D, as described. In the side of the receptacle and near the bottom is introduced a small pipe, J, for the introduction of a small streamof fresh water for the purpose of iushing accumulating mineral through the gate F and to compensate for the vacuum created by the discharge of waterand minerals through said gate, it being essential that no flow of water be permitted from the volume introduced in the arm or sluice B to pass into the receptacle E.

The mode of operating the separator consists in'iutroducing the water containing mineral slimes at the feed end of the sluice or arm B, the waste-gate being set high or low, accordin'g to the character of the material. mineral be of high specific gravity, the wastegate is lowered, so as to increase the force of the current suiliicienlly to carry the waste matter up the inclined sluice and over the wastegate; butif the mineral be relativelylight the If the IOO gate and peint of overflow must be raised, so as to reduce the force of the Water-cnrrent and avoid carrying oft" valuable portions of the slimes.

5 The gate H must be closed sufficiently to cause the Water in the sluiee to back np and fill the space to the feed end of arm B, se as to form a Solid column in the slniee from end to end, thereby avoiding any ripples in the ew 1e and producing a steady moving column through the machine It will be found that in passing down the inclined sluice or arm all the heavier particles of minerals will be precipitated to the bottom of the sl nice and will 1 5 drop into the reservoir E after passing through the spray from the pipe l, which intervenes to prevent light and worthless material from passing into the receptacle and assists in raising such material up the inclined slnice and 2o over the Wastegate D.

The breadth and depth ol` the opening or throat a must be governed by the quantity of water available and amount of mineral slimes contained, it being necessary in any ease that 2 5 the column of water shall be sufficient to fill the slniee with a strong current-4. e., sufficient te force the waste material up the inclined sluiee to the point of discharge. The covering b" of the sluice immediately over the 3o throat should be horizontally placed, so as to give greater room for the water and permit the lighter particles of waste to be carried, with the assistance of the spray from pipe I, over the throat, while the heavier minerals,

having settled to the bottom and traveled down upon the wooden or metal plate, are here left in an eddy77 to crowd themselves through the throat into the receptacle below, the spray driving back any 'particles of Waste matter that :may attempt to pass.

Having thus described my present invention, what I claim as new, and desire to secure by Letters Patent, is

l. The receptacle F and inclined diverging conduits B and C, communicating at their lower ends, in combination with the adjustable plates G and H, arranged to leave between their edges the throat a, and the pipe I, hav ing a slot in line with said throat, snbstaw tially as described.

2. The eenduits B and C and the receptacle communicating therewith and having a llu shaped bottoni, in combination with the adjustable plates G and H, the water-pipe I, and. the discharge-faucet in the bottom of the receptacle, substantially as described.

3. The rectangular sluiee having a feed and overflow, in combination with a receptacle ex tending transversely aeross said slniee and having a V-shaped bottom, a gate or faucet in said bottom, the adjustable plates G and H, forming between their adjacent ends the throat a, the slotted pipe I, and pi pe J, substantially as specified.

' ENOS A. W'A'LL.

4Witnesses:

C. P. MAsON, H. C. WALLACII. 

